WSP Holdings Limited
25,000,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing
50,000,000 Ordinary Shares
(Par Value US$0.0001 Per Share)
Underwriting Agreement
December [ ], 2007
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10172
As Representative of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
WSP Holdings Limited, an exempted company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”), an aggregate of 25,000,000 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), representing 50,000,000 ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), of the Company. The 25,000,000 ADSs is herein called the “Firm ADSs.” At the option of the Underwriters, the Company proposes to sell to the Underwriters up to 3,750,000 additional ADSs, representing 7,500,000 additional Ordinary Shares. The 3,750,000 additional ADSs is herein called the “Optional ADSs.” The Firm ADSs and the Optional ADSs that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the “Offered ADSs.” The Ordinary Shares represented by the Firm ADSs are hereinafter called the “Firm Shares,” the Ordinary Shares represented by the Optional ADSs are hereinafter called the “Optional Shares” and the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares are hereinafter collectively called the “Shares.”
The Offered ADSs are to be issued pursuant to a deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), dated as of December [ ], 2007, among the Company,
JPMorgan Chase Bank, as depositary (the “Depositary”), and owners and beneficial owners from time to time of the ADSs. Each Offered ADS will initially represent the right to receive two Ordinary Shares deposited pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
It is understood by all the parties that the Underwriters are offering Offered ADSs in the United States and internationally outside of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC,” which, for purposes of this Agreement, excludes Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau).
Accordingly, it is agreed as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-147351) including a prospectus, relating to the Shares and the Offered ADSs. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before it becomes effective, any prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Offered ADSs. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.
At or prior to the time when sales of the Offered ADSs were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, with the pricing information set forth on Annex A, the “Time of Sale Information”), a Preliminary Prospectus dated November 20, 2007, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.
2. Purchase of the Offered ADSs by the Underwriters.
(a) The Company agrees to sell the Firm ADSs to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees to purchase from the
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Company the respective number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price per ADS (the “Purchase Price”) of $[ ].
In addition, the Company agrees to sell the Optional ADSs to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase from the Company the Optional ADSs at the Purchase Price.
If any Optional ADSs are to be purchased, the number of Optional ADSs to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Optional ADSs which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Optional ADSs being purchased as the number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 9 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Firm ADSs being purchased from the Company by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional ADSs as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make.
The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Optional ADSs at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of this Agreement, by written notice from the Representative to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Optional ADSs as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Optional ADSs are to be delivered and paid for which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.
(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Offered ADSs as soon as practicable after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement as in the judgment of the Representative is advisable, and initially to offer the Offered ADSs on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Offered ADSs to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Offered ADSs purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Offered ADSs shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company to the Representative in the case of the Firm ADSs, at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell, 18th Floor, The Hong Kong Club
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Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong (the “Closing Location”) at 9:00 A.M. New York City time on December [ ], 2007, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Optional ADSs, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representative in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional ADSs but not later than , January [ ], 2008 (but in no event less than 2 business days after the notice of exercise). The time and date of such payment for the Firm ADSs is referred to herein as the “Closing Date” and the time and date for such payment for the Optional ADSs, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date”.
Payment for the Offered ADSs to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) representing the Offered ADSs to be purchased on such date in definitive form registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Offered ADSs duly paid by the Company. The specimen of the ADRs representing the Offered ADSs will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representative at the Closing Location not later than 1:00 P.M., Hong Kong time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(d) As compensation to the Underwriters for their commitments hereunder, the Company will pay, or cause to be paid, to J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., for the accounts of the several Underwriters, an amount equal to $[ ] per share for the Shares to be delivered by the Company hereunder on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be. On [ ], 2007, or on such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing, or, in the case of the Optional ADSs, on the date and time specified by the Representative in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional ADSs, the Company will pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer, in immediate available funds, such commission to the account specified by J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
(e) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s-length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Offered ADSs contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person.
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Additionally, neither the Representative nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making their own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the SEC, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus.
(b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale did not, and at the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to
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and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Offered ADSs (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto and other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representative. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and at the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the SEC. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the SEC and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the SEC; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such
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Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(e) Form F-6. A registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-147405) in respect of the Offered ADSs has been filed with the SEC; such registration statement in the form heretofore delivered to the Representative and, excluding exhibits, to the Representative for each of the other Underwriters, has been declared effective by the SEC in such form; no other document with respect to such registration statement has heretofore been filed with the SEC; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the SEC (the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the “ADS Registration Statement”); and the ADS Registration Statement when it became effective conformed, and any further amendments thereto will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, and did not, as of the applicable effective date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(f) Form 8-A. A registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-33840) in respect of the registration of the Shares and the Offered ADSs under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), has been filed with the SEC; such registration statement in the form heretofore delivered to you and, excluding exhibits, to you for each of the other Underwriters, has been declared effective by the SEC in such form; no other document with respect to such registration statement has heretofore been filed with the SEC; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the SEC (the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the “Form 8-A Registration Statement”); and the Form 8-A Registration Statement when it became effective conformed, and any further amendments thereto will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, and did not and will not, as of the applicable effective date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
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(g) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“US GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; and the supporting schedule included in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus presents fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly and accurately the information shown thereby; and the Company and its subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(h) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus.
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(i) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The constitutive documents of the Company and each of its subsidiaries comply with the requirements of applicable law in its jurisdiction of incorporation and are in full force and effect. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 attached hereto.
(j) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization;” all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any preemptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are directly or indirectly owned by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party; the Shares to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, may be freely deposited by the Company with the Depositary against issuance of ADRs evidencing Offered ADSs; the Offered ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, will be freely transferable by the
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Company to or for the account of the several Underwriters and (to the extent described in the Prospectus) the initial purchasers thereof; and there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Offered ADSs under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the United States except as described in the Prospectus under “Description of share capital,” “Description of American Depositary Shares” and “Shares eligible for future sale.”
(k) The Shares. The Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(l) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of each of the Transaction Documents and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby has been duly and validly taken.
(m) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(n) Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by each of the parties thereto, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, insolvency or similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). Upon due execution and delivery by the Depositary of ADRs evidencing Offered ADSs and the deposit of Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, such ADRs will be duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the ADRs are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement; and the Deposit Agreement and the ADRs conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus.
(o) Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description
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thereof contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus.
(p) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its business license, articles of association, charter or by-laws or other similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority; except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder and the deposit of the Shares being deposited with the Depositary against issuance of the ADRs evidencing the Offered ADSs and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in connection with this offering will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association, business license or other constituent documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any judgment, law or statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the
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execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Shares, the deposit of the Shares with the Depositary against issuance of the ADRs evidencing the ADSs to be delivered or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in connection with this offering, except for (x) the registration under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act of the Shares and the Offered ADSs, (y) such governmental authorizations as may be required under applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws, or any laws of jurisdictions outside the United States in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares and Offered ADSs by or for the respective account of the several Underwriters and (z) such other governmental or regulatory authorizations as have been duly obtained and are in full force and effect and copies of which have been furnished to you.
(s) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents; to the best knowledge of the Company, no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened by others or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement that are not so described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus. The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Business—Legal proceedings,” insofar as they purport to summarize the facts and status of pending legal proceedings involving the Company or its subsidiaries, are true and accurate in all material respects, and nothing has been omitted from such statements which would make the same misleading in any material respect.
(t) Volume and Price Data. All production and sales volume data and all average selling prices disclosed in the Registration Statement,
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Time of Sale Information and Prospectus are accurate representations of the Company’s data.
(u) Directors and Officers. To the best knowledge of the Company, its directors, director appointee and executive officers are not a party in any legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings that, if determined adversely to such director or executive officer, would result in such director or officer to be unsuitable for his or her position on the board or in the Company.
(v) Independent Accountants. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, which has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(w) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company or its subsidiaries have valid land use rights and building ownerships certificates for (in the case of real property located in the PRC), or good and marketable title to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) are disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus.
(x) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of others.
(y) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration
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Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Time of Sale Information.
(z) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and Offered ADSs and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder (collectively, “Investment Company Act”).
(aa) Taxes. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all taxes required to be paid and filed with all appropriate taxing authorities all income, franchise or other tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, and there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.
(bb) Licenses and Permits. Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus relating to its payment of income tax in connection with its new facility in Wuxi, the Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate domestic or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries are each in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all such licenses, consents, certificates, authorizations, approvals, orders and permits; (iii) all of such licenses, consents, certificates, authorizations, approvals, orders and permits are valid and in full force and effect; (iv) none of such licenses, consents, certificates, authorizations, approvals, orders and permits contains any materially burdensome restrictions or conditions not described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus; and (v) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.
(cc) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened and the
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Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers.
(dd) Compliance With Environmental Laws. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of the clauses (i)(x) and (i)(y) above, for any failure to comply or failure to receive required permits, licenses, certificates or other activities or approvals as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
(ff) Accounting Controls. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries as a whole maintain systems of internal control over financial reporting that have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with US GAAP, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
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reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.
(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have customary insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(hh) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used or authorized any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or authorized any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any other similar law in the relevant jurisdictions that the Company and its subsidiaries conduct their businesses; or (iv) made or authorized any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.
(ii) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any
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of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or threatened.
(jj) Compliance with OFAC. All of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ business activities that could not be done by a U.S. Person (as defined below) or from the United States under the relevant sanctions administered by the Offering of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) (such business activities are hereinafter referred to as “OFAC Noncompliant Activities”) since 2004 have been disclosed fairly and accurately in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus. None of the Company’s subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, agents and directors and officers that are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or are organized under U.S. law (including non-U.S. branches), or are located in the United States (collectively, “U.S. Persons”) (a) directly or indirectly, engages in any OFAC Noncompliant Activity or (b) supports or facilitates any OFAC Noncompliant Activity. The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Offered ADSs hereunder to finance any of its, its subsidiaries’ or its joint venture’s OFAC Noncompliant Activities, nor will it lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any other individual or entity (“Person”) for the purpose of financing any OFAC Noncompliant Activity. The Company has ceased all of its or its subsidiaries’ OFAC Noncompliant Activities, and has required all of our distributors to covenant to us that they will not resell any of our products to any Persons where such sales constitute OFAC Noncompliant Activities. The Company and its subsidiaries will not engage in any future OFAC Noncompliant Activity. The Company will implement an internal control mechanism as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, to monitor compliance with this representation, including, but not limited to, employing a sanctions and export controls compliance officer with company-wide responsibility to review all international transactions to determine whether the transaction would constitute an OFAC Noncompliant Activity and to stop any such transaction. Neither the execution of this Agreement nor the performance of any transactions contemplated herein would cause the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any of the Underwriters or any of their affiliates (as defined in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act), or any of the Company’s or the Underwriters’ advisors or any of the Company’s investors to violate any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC applicable to such person.
(kk) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any applicable laws or regulations, any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying dividends to the
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Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(ll) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(mm) No Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.
(nn) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or Offered ADSs.
(oo) Business With Cuba. The Company has complied with all provisions of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes (Chapter 92-198, Laws of Florida) relating to doing business with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.
(pp) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered ADSs nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(qq) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus has been made without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
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(rr) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(ss) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with, to the extent applicable, any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans.
(tt) Status under the Securities Act. The Company is not an ineligible issuer as defined under the Securities Act, at the times specified in the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Offered ADSs. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fees within the time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(uu) Reorganization Agreements. (i) The description of the transactions in 2004 and 2006 in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus is true and accurate in all material respects. The parties to the agreements pursuant to which the Company underwent the 2004 and 2006 transactions as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus (collectively, the “Reorganization Agreements”) have the legal right, power and authority (corporate and other, as the case may be) to enter into and perform their respective obligations under the Reorganization Agreements and have taken all necessary actions to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of, and have authorized, executed and delivered, each of the Reorganization Agreements, and each of the Reorganization Agreements constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in equity or at law).
(ii) The execution and delivery by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of, and the performance by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of its respective obligations under, each of the Reorganization Agreements and the consummation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of the transactions
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contemplated therein will not: (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries, as the case may be, is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries are subject; (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association or business license of or other Governmental Authorizations (as defined below) to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, as the case may be; and (C) will not result in any violation of law or statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except in the case of clauses (A) and (C) above, for any such conflict, breach, default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(iii) Each of the Reorganization Agreements is in proper legal form under the laws of the respective jurisdictions thereunder for the enforcement thereof against the parties thereto, in the respective jurisdiction without further action by the Company or its subsidiaries, as the case may be; and to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of each of the Reorganization Agreements in the respective jurisdiction thereof; any such document that is required to be filed or recorded with any court or other governmental authority in the jurisdiction thereof and any stamp or similar tax that is required to be paid on or in respect of any of the Reorganization Agreements have been so filed, recorded or paid, as the case may be.
(vv) Dividends. All dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Shares of the Company may under the current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands be paid to the Depositary in U.S. dollars or any other currency that may be converted into foreign currency, which may be freely transferred out of the Cayman Islands, and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands and without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, permissions, orders, registrations, filings, exemptions, waivers, endorsements, licenses, annual inspections, clearances and qualifications of a governmental agency having jurisdiction
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over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or any stock exchange authorities (hereinafter referred to as “Governmental Authorizations”) in the Cayman Islands.
(ww) NYSE Approval. The Offered ADSs have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to notice of issuance.
(xx) No Commodity Contracts. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is engaged in any trading activities involving commodity contracts or other trading contracts which are not currently traded on a securities or commodities exchange and for which the market value cannot be determined.
(yy) Transfer Taxes. Other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, no stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the government of the Cayman Islands, or the PRC, or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (i) the deposit with the Depositary of Shares by the Company against the issuance of ADRs evidencing Offered ADSs, (ii) the sale and delivery by the Company of the Shares and the Offered ADSs to or for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters or (iii) the sale and delivery outside the Cayman Islands by the several Underwriters of the Shares and Offered ADSs to the initial purchasers thereof in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
(zz) No Sale, Issuance or Distribution of Shares. The Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A, Regulation D or Regulation S of the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(aaa) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(bbb) Transaction Agreements under Cayman Law. Each of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is in proper form to be enforceable against the Company in the Cayman Islands in accordance with its terms; to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility into evidence in the Cayman Islands of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement, it is not necessary that this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands (other than court filings in the normal course of proceedings) or that any stamp or similar tax (other than nominal stamp
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duty if this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement are executed in or brought into the Cayman Islands) in the Cayman Islands be paid on or in respect of this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement or any other documents to be furnished hereunder.
(ccc) PFIC. The Company believes that it is not a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) as defined under Section 1297 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its current taxable year ending December 31, 2007, and it will not be a PFIC for the foreseeable future.
(ddd) No Undisclosed Material Indebtedness or Arrangements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, no material indebtedness (actual or contingent) and no material contract or arrangement is outstanding between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person connected with such director or executive officer (including his/her spouse, minor children, any company or undertaking in which he/she holds a controlling interest) or any other third party; there are no material relationships or transactions between the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the one hand and its affiliates, officers and directors or their shareholders, customers or suppliers or any other third party on the other hand, which, although required to be disclosed, are not disclosed in the Prospectus.
(eee) No Undisclosed Benefits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, the Company has no material obligation to provide retirement, death or disability benefits to any of the present or past employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to any other person.
(fff) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations—Critical accounting policies” in the Prospectus truly, accurately and completely in all material respects describes: (i) accounting policies which the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and which require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (ii) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (iii) the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions; and the Company’s board of directors and management have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of Critical Accounting Policies and have consulted with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm with regard to such disclosure.
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(ggg) Liquidity and Capital Resources. The section entitled “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations—Liquidity and capital resources” in the Prospectus accurately and fully describes: (i) all material trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and risks, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would materially affect liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur. The section entitled “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations—Off-balance sheet commitments and arrangements” in the Prospectus accurately and fully describes in all material respects all off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements and obligations of the Company or its subsidiaries.
(hhh) Action against the Company. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, no holder of ADSs issued pursuant to the Deposit Agreement shall be entitled, except under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, to seek enforcement of its rights through the Depositary or its nominee registered as representative of the holders of the ADSs in a direct suit, action or proceeding against the Company.
(iii) No Reduction from Amounts Payable. All amounts payable by the Company under this Agreement shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for or on account of any taxes imposed, assessed or levied by the Cayman Islands or any authority thereof or therein, nor are any taxes imposed in the Cayman Islands on, or by virtue of the execution or delivery of, such documents.
(jjj) Choice of Law. The courts of the Cayman Islands recognize and give effect to the choice of law provisions set forth in Section 14 hereof and will enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against the Company in connection with this Agreement under which a sum of money is payable (other than a sum of money payable in respect of multiple damages, taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty) and would give a judgment based thereon provided that (a) such courts had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment; (b) such courts did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the Cayman Islands; (c) such judgment was not obtained by fraud; (d) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands; (e) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the Cayman Islands; and (f) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the Cayman Islands.
(kkk) Corporate Structure and Related Party Transactions. The description of the events and transactions set forth in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus under the captions “Corporate Structure” (including such other sections as references were
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made therein) is true, accurate and complete in all material respects. All the material related party transactions have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Related Party Transactions,” and such disclosure is true and accurate in all material respects.
(lll) Merger or Consolidations. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or a material acquisition or disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses.
(mmm) Termination of Contracts Described in the Time of Sale Information. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the material contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, or the Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(nnn) Personal Liability of Shareholders and ADS holders. No holder of any of the Shares or the ADSs after the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement is or will be subject to any personal liability in respect of any liability of the Company or its subsidiaries by virtue only of its holding of any such Shares or Offered ADSs; and except as set forth in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, there are no limitations on the rights of holders of the Shares or the Offered ADSs who are not PRC residents to hold, vote or transfer their securities.
(ooo) Compliance with PRC Regulations. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, each of the Company and its subsidiaries that were incorporated outside of the PRC has complied with, and has taken, or is in the process of taking steps to ensure compliance by each of its shareholders, option holders, directors, officers and employees that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen with any applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, without
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limitation, requesting each shareholder, option holder, director, officer, employee and Participant that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations.
(ppp) PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. The Company is aware of and has been advised as to the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “PRC Mergers and Acquisition Rules”) jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC on August 8, 2006, including the relevant provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose entities formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the Offered ADSs, the listing and trading of the Offered ADSs on the NYSE or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is not and will not be, as of the date hereof or at Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, adversely affected by the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules (collectively, the “PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules and Related Clarifications”).
(qqq) Composition of the Board of Directors. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, since the filing of the Registration Statement with the SEC, there has been no change to the composition of the board of directors of the Company or the composition of the executive officers of the Company.
(rrr) Residence and Domicile of Underwriters. None of the Underwriters will be deemed to be resident, domiciled, carrying on business or subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands or the PRC solely by reason of its execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of, or the consummation of any transaction contemplated by, this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement or any other document furnished hereunder or thereunder.
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(sss) Compliance with Tax Exemption Laws and Regulations. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, each of the Company’s subsidiaries operating in the PRC is in compliance with all requirements under all applicable PRC laws and regulations to qualify for their exemptions from enterprise income tax or other income tax benefits (the “Tax Benefits”) as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, and the actual operations and business activities of each of the Company’s subsidiaries are sufficient to meet the qualifications for their Tax Benefits. No submissions made to any PRC government authority in connection with obtaining their Tax Benefits contained any misstatement or omission that would have affected the granting of their Tax Benefits. None of the Company’s subsidiaries has received notice of any deficiency in their respective applications for their Tax Benefits, and the Company is not aware, to their best knowledge, of any reason why any of the Company’s subsidiaries (except which is disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus) might not qualify for, or be in compliance with the requirements for, their Tax Benefits except the possible effects on such Tax Benefits under the Enterprise Income Tax Law promulgated on March 16, 2008 and to be effective on January 1, 2007 as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus.
(ttt) Affiliation. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of the NASD and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the SEC.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the SEC within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in Hong Kong prior to [10:00] A.M., Hong Kong time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request.
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(b) Qualification of Offered ADSs. The Company will promptly, from time to time, take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Offered ADSs for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Offered ADSs; provided that, in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
(c) Delivery of Documents. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representative, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter, (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representative may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Offered ADSs as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Offered ADSs is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Offered ADSs by any Underwriter or dealer.
(d) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.
(e) Notice to the Representative. The Company will advise the Representative promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iv) of any request by the SEC for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the SEC relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the SEC for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the SEC of any
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order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares or Offered ADSs for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares or Offered ADSs and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(f) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the SEC and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Information as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the SEC (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the
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Representative may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.
(g) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(h) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the SEC promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(i) Lock-up. For a period of 180 days after the date hereof, the Company will not (i) issue, offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs, (ii) file, or announce the intention to file, any registration statement with respect to any Ordinary Shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs, or (iii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Ordinary Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares or ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representative, other than the ADSs to be sold hereunder. The foregoing restriction shall not apply to the exercise of stock options granted under the Company’s share incentive plan in existence as of the date hereof, and the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 in relation to the Ordinary Shares that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of such stock options, provided, however, in any such case, it shall be a condition to the exercise of stock options that the Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities so acquired are
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subject to the same lock-up period as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this section shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
(j) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds”.
(k) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(l) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list the ADSs on the NYSE.
(m) Reports. During a period of five years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Company will furnish to the Representative, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares or Offered ADSs, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the SEC or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided, however, that if such reports, communications or financial statements are available on EDGAR or the Company’s website, the Company only needs to notify the Representative as soon as they are available.
(n) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the SEC in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(o) Filings. The Company will file with the SEC such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(p) Deposit of Shares. The Company will, prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, deposit the Shares with the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and otherwise comply with the Deposit Agreement so
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that ADSs will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of such Shares and delivered to the Underwriters at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(q) License. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Offered ADSs (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.
(r) Transfer Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold each Underwriter harmless against any documentary, stamp or similar issuance or transfer taxes, duties or fees and any transaction levies, commissions or brokerage charges imposed by any government, or any political subdivisions or tax authority thereof or therein, including any interest and penalties, which are or may be required to be paid in connection with the creation, allotment, issuance, offer and distribution of the Shares and Offered ADSs to be sold by the Company and the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement.
(s) Judgment and Approval. The Company agrees that (i) it will not attempt to avoid any judgment obtained by it or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Offered ADSs, it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares, if any; and (iii) it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends, if any, and all other relevant purposes.
(t) Form W-8BEN. In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of U.S. federal income tax law with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, the Company will deliver to you prior to or on the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8BEN or (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations).
(u) Compliance with SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company shall comply with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), and shall use its best efforts to cause its directors, officers, option holders and shareholders named in the Company’s share register that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC
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residents or PRC citizens, to comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them in connection with the Company, including, without limitation, requesting each shareholder named in the Company’s share register, option holder, director and officer that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(v) Interim Financial Statements. The Company will furnish to you as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements, if any, of the Company and the Subsidiaries which have been read by the Company’s independent registered public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof.
(w) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries shall undertake measures to implement, by the time such systems are required by the Exchange Act, systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with US GAAP, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(x) Compliance with Laws. The Company will comply with and will require the Company’s directors and executive officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with all applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.]
5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Firm ADSs on the Closing Date or the Optional ADSs on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be as provided herein, is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
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(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the SEC; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the SEC under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the SEC for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(h) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(d) Officer’s Certificate. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representative (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus and the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(e) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Deloitte
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Touche Tohmatsu shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(f) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Company. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, opinions of Latham & Watkins LLP, United States counsel for the Company, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(g) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, opinions of Davis Polk & Wardwell, United States counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(h) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Company. The Representative shall have received on and as of the date of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Jintian & Gongcheng Associates, PRC counsel for the Company, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(i) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received on and as of the date of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Commerce & Finance Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
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(j) Opinion of Cayman Islands Counsel for the Company. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman, the Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(k) Opinion of British Virgin Islands Counsel for First Space Holdings Limited (“FSHL”). The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Conyers Dill & Pearman, the British Virgin Islands counsel for FSHL, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(l) Opinion of Canada Counsel for WSP Industries Canada Inc. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Salley Bowes Harwardt LLP, the Canada counsel for WSP Industries Canada Inc., with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(m) Opinion of Counsel for the Depositary. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Ziegler Ziegler & Associates LLP, counsel for the Depositary, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(n) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.
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(o) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental Authorities of such jurisdictions.
(p) Exchange Listing. The Shares shall be delivered on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and the ADSs shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance.
(q) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of Ordinary Shares or ADSs or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(r) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.
(s) Custody of Certificates. Certificates in negotiable form representing all of the Shares underlying the Offered ADSs to be sold by the Company hereunder shall be placed in custody with the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, as local custodian for the Depositary.
(t) Certificates at Closing Date. The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, certificates satisfactory to you evidencing the deposit with it of the Shares being so deposited against issuance of ADRs evidencing the Offered ADSs to be delivered by the Company at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), issuance and delivery of ADRs evidencing such Offered ADSs pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
(u) Adverse Developments in PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. There shall not be any adverse legislative or regulatory developments related to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules and Related Clarifications which in the sole judgment of the Representative
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would make it inadvisable or impractical to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares and the Offered ADSs being delivered at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated in this Agreement.
(v) Compliance with Section 5(a). The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(a) hereof with respect to the furnishing of Prospectuses on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement.
(w) Payment of Commission Fees. The Company shall have paid the required SEC filing fees relating to the Shares and Offered ADSs in such amount and within the time frame provided in the Securities Act and the Rule 456(b)(1) thereunder.
(x) No FINRA Objection. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting or other arrangements of the transactions contemplated hereby.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
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6. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information (including any Time of Sale Information that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each
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Underwriter: the concession and re-allowance figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the twelfth and thirteenth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting.”
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 6 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 6. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall be entitled to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, within a reasonable time after written notice or invoice is submitted to the Indemnifying Person. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary or (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed within a reasonable time after written notice or invoice is submitted to the Indemnifying Person. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representative and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final
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judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for reasonable fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to,
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among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Offered ADSs exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 6 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
7. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representative, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Optional ADSs, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the London Stock Exchange, the Shanghai Stock Exchange or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-
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counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal, New York State or the PRC authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States and the PRC, that, in the judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares or Offered ADSs on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
9. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Offered ADSs that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Offered ADSs by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Offered ADSs, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Offered ADSs on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Offered ADSs of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Offered ADSs that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Offered ADSs of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Offered ADSs that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Offered ADSs to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Offered ADSs that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Offered ADSs that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Offered ADSs of
42
such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Offered ADSs of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Offered ADSs that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Offered ADSs to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Offered ADSs on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 10 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 6 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
10. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and the Offered ADSs and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing each of the Transaction Documents; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent accountants and other advisors; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares and the Offered ADSs under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, the FINRA; (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors, including but not limited to, expenses associated with creating roadshow slides
43
and graphics, public relations consultants engaged in assisting the company in the roadshow process, travel and lodging expenses of the officers, directors and other members of the Company, and cost of chartering the aircraft and other transportation in connection with the roadshow; and (x) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the ADSs on the NYSE.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Offered ADSs for delivery to the Underwriters in accordance with this Agreement or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Offered ADSs for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
11. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons or any other persons referred to in Section 6 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or shall be construed to give, any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Offered ADSs from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
12. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Offered ADSs and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
13. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in Hong Kong; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
14. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service. (a) The Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the offering of the Offered ADSs. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or
44
proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, it irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding.
(b) The Company irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System as its agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding described in the preceding paragraph and agrees that service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. The Company represents and warrants that such agent has agreed to act as its agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect.
15. Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of each of the Company with respect to any sum due from it to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.
16. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representative. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representative shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
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(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representative:
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.
277 Park Avenue, New York,
New York 10172
fax: (1-212) 622 8358
Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk
Notices to the Company shall be given to it at:
WSP Holdings Limited
No. 38 Zhujiang Road
Xinqu, Wuxi
Jiangsu Provience
People’s Republic of China
fax: (86-510) 8536 5999
Attention: Longhua Piao
(c) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(f) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
|
| Very truly yours, | |
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| WSP HOLDINGS LIMITED | |
| By: | ||
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| Name: |
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| Title: |
47
Accepted: __________, 2007
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC. |
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By: |
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| Name: |
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| Title: |
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For themselves and on behalf of the several
Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto.
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Schedule 1
UNDERWRITERS
Underwriter |
| Number of Firm ADSs |
|
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. |
|
|
|
CIBC World Markets Corp. |
|
|
|
Aseambankers Malaysia Berhad |
|
|
|
First Shanghai Securities Limited |
|
|
|
Total |
| 25,000,000 |
|
Sch-1-1
Schedule 2
SUBSIDIARIES
Subsidiary |
| Place of Incorporation |
| Ownership |
|
First Space Holdings Limited |
| British Virgin Islands |
| 100 | % |
Wuxi Seamless Oil Pipes Company Limited |
| PRC |
| 100 | % |
Jiangsu Fanli Pipe Co. Ltd. |
| PRC |
| 70 | % |
WSP Industries Canada Inc. |
| Canada |
| 70 | % |
Sch-2-1
Annex A
TIME OF SALE INFORMATION
WSP Holdings Limited
25,000,000 American Depositary Shares
Each Representing Two Ordinary Shares, Par Value $0.0001 Per Share
Symbol |
| NYSE/WH |
|
Public Offering Price |
|
|
|
ADSs Offered by the Company |
| 25,000,000 ADSs |
|
Offering Size |
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Proceeds to the Company, net of underwriting discounts and commissions |
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Trade Date |
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Settlement and Delivery Date |
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Underwriting Discounts and Commissions |
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CUSIP |
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|
Annex-A-1
Exhibit B
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
[ ], 2007
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
As Representative of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule I to the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below
277 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10172
| Re: | WSP Holdings Limited Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with WSP Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), representing ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the ADSs, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any ADSs or Ordinary Shares, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the ADSs or Ordinary Shares (including without limitation, ADSs and Ordinary Shares which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon
Exhibit-B-1
exercise of a stock option or warrant) or (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the ADSs or Ordinary Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing restriction shall not apply to: (A) the exercise of a stock option granted under the Company’s share incentive plan, provided, however, in any such case, it shall be a condition to the exercise of stock option that the Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities so acquired are subject to this Letter Agreement; and (B) the transfer of Ordinary Shares by Expert Master Holdings Limited (“EMH”) pursuant to (i) the exercise of exchange rights under the secured exchangeable bonds subscription agreement dated December 1, 2006 between EMH and the subscribers named in Schedule 4 attached thereto, or (ii) the exercise of warrants issued to the investors pursuant to the note and warrant purchase agreement dated October 16, 2007 between EMH and the investors named therein, provided, however, in any such case, it shall be a condition to the exercise of the exchangeable bonds or warrants that the Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities so acquired are subject to this Letter Agreement.
In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any ADSs, Ordinary Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for ADSs or Ordinary Shares, except that a written request for demand registration may be made to the Company pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement dated October 17, 2007 between the Company and the other parties named in Scheduled I thereto, provided that the Company shall not, and the party or parties making such written request shall request the Company not to, file any registration statements, or make any announcements, with respect thereto prior to the expiration of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (plus any applicable extension referred to below), notwithstanding any provisions in the Registration Rights Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Letter Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to an affiliate of the undersigned or a family member as defined in Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933 will not be subject to this Letter
Exhibit-B-2
Agreement, provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement with the Representative stating that the transferee is receiving and holding such Ordinary Shares or ADSs subject to the provisions of this Letter Agreement.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the ADSs to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.
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| Very truly yours, | |
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| |
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| [NAME OF STOCKHOLDER] | |
| By: | ||
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| Name: |
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| Title: |
Exhibit-B-3